1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to centrifugal pumps for fluids and more particularly of the type having a rotatable case which impels fluid to one collection point if liquid and another if gas whereby they are discharged separately via separate outlet ports within the pump housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problem of two-phase fluid pumping has been and still is a serious one in the art, especially for long distance transmissions. Prior pumps, especially the rotating case-fixed arm centrifugal type as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,024 issued to W. L. King, can be adapted to solve this type of problem. This type of pump, for a single phase fluid, achieves high pressure liquid pumping in a small inexpensive single stage with relatively little maintenance such as mechanical seal problems which have long plagued the pumping art. Yet this group as it is presently known cannot achieve the two-phase or multi-phase operation which is the prime object of the present invention.
The invention described herein discloses in its preferred embodiment a rotating case pump which can achieve two-phase pumping and/or phase separation in one stage, using either continuous or alternating pulse flow. For more complete separation, several stages may be used.